AC Installation: Out with the Old!

You Get What You Paid For

When someone installs a brand new air conditioner for you on the cheap, what are you really getting?

Cheaper is not always better. Sure, you might “know a guy” who installs air conditioners for a lot cheaper than a professional air conditioning company like Super Heat & Air would. But are you really saving money in the long run? That "Joe Schmoe" that you know with a pickup truck might be giving you a much cheaper price to install your new air conditioning system, but what are you really getting for the price?

Dirt Cheap, Indeed

We get it. Somebody came along and offered you a “too good to be true” deal on an AC installation. But you know what they say about things that seem too good to be true (please, don’t make us repeat it). So you were able to get a brand new air conditioning system installed by "Joe Schmoe Air" at a dirt cheap price. But what did "Joe" really do besides install the AC unit? Did he check your ductwork first to make sure it was clean? And did he actually pull a permit to be able to install your AC? Did he offer you a system up to today's energy standards and install it up to code? Is he even licensed, bonded and insured to install air conditioners in the first place? And did he pop open your old AC to show you why you need one before selling you a new AC? … Didn’t think so.

New Standards of Efficiency

Efficiency is money. Without getting too technical here, there is something you should know about today’s energy standards for air conditioning. There’s a thing called a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) for AC systems, which was defined by the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute in 2008. The SEER rating of an air conditioner, according to U.S. Department of Energy website Energy.gov, “indicates the relative amount of energy needed to provide a specific cooling output. Many older systems have SEER ratings of 6 or less.”(Remember this. It will come into play again)

A good way to know if your air conditioner is energy efficient is by checking for the ENERGY STAR® label. New energy efficiency standards for air conditioning units took effect on January 1, 2015. So if your air conditioner is several years old or more and doesn't have the ENERGY STAR® label on it, chances are it's not up to par. In other words, you're paying too much for electricity with your old AC!

The Real AC Deal

Sing for the SEER! Your old AC unit is probably has a low SEER rating. Super Heat & Air only installs brand new air conditioning systems with high SEER ratings. And we don’t just install air conditioners and call it a day. Other companies or even your buddy "Joe" with the pickup truck might tell you what’s wrong. However, if you’re not educated about HVAC stuff, you’ll probably just take their word for it. They may try to sell you a new air conditioner even if you don’t actually need one.

If we believe it’s time to put your “Old Yeller” air conditioner down, we actually SHOW YOU why. You'll get a detailed visual explanation on what’s wrong with your current air conditioning unit first. Then you can make an informed and educated decision before you buy a new AC unit from us. If you don’t really need a brand new air conditioning system, we won't try to sell you one. And we'll also do everything in our power to make sure your existing air conditioning unit doesn’t end up in our “AC Graveyard.”

VIDEO: "Kick Your Old AC to the Curb"

A brand new air conditioning system installation from Super Heat & Air includes more than just installing a unit. So if we tell you that you need a new air conditioner installed, we don’t want you to just take our word for it: we want to show you why!

For example, old air conditioners that have not been maintained regularly accumulate what we call in the AC biz “biological growth”. If your air conditioner is old and has not been inspected or received regular maintenance over time, then mold, mildew, dirt, dust and rust are circulating in your air. Nasty stuff! And that feeling of stuffiness you get when you’re home means one thing: you’re breathing it in. Every day! (Bless you).

Our friendly neighborhood HVAC technicians will pop that rusty, musty, crusty old AC unit open and let you see for yourself what kind of nastiness you’re breathing in. And if you don't want a new air conditioning system installed, we understand. But we'll clean up that nastiness for you and improve your indoor air quality if you decide you're not ready to put "Old Yeller" down quite yet.

See the Light

Zap it away! Our air conditioning systems also come with optional Ultraviolet or UV light systems. “Why UV lights,” you say? Well, cold water buildup from condensation stagnates over time and becomes a petri dish of sorts for bacterial growth. (Again, that nasty moldy stuff you've been breathing in). There’s a reason UV lights in AC systems are mandatory in schools and hospitals. They keep children and patients from breathing in mold and mildew spores. Ultraviolet lights in air conditioning systems (as the owner of Super Heat & Air once said) “zap away the nasty stuff.” In other words, UV lights keep your AC system dry; keep coils clean; and kill bacteria before it can blossom. They also help keep your air ducts clean and allow you to breathe better air.

The Smartphone Analogy

Everything is smart now. Air conditioners are like smartphones. No, they can’t surf the web, take pictures and video, send text messages and do pretty much everything else! But air conditioning systems, like smartphones, have evolved significantly over time. An old air conditioning system is like your old cell phone. Think about the cell phone you had 5 or 10 years ago. Was it even a smartphone? Or was it a flip phone with only call and texting capabilities and maybe a cheap low-resolution camera?

New air conditioning systems, like smartphones, now come standard with many new features and improvements that old "flip phone" air conditioners don't have. Air conditioning technology has evolved to provide new standards of efficiency and cleanliness that your old air conditioning unit doesn’t have. The air conditioners Super Heat & Air installs are energy efficient and up to code. They're also hurricane anchored to protect them from storm damage (we do live in Florida, after all). And did we mention our condenser units (the big box outside) look good? Damn good! (Hey, there's nothing really sexy about air conditioning, but we try!)

When you're ready to put your old energy-sucking, money-draining, bacterial-growth-producing air conditioning system down and get a new air conditioning system installed, call us! And don't forget to ask about our Zero Percent Interest financing options too!